Break through (How to catch a thief 2/3)

Writers: Eimi, Paula
Date Posted: 28th August 2018
Series: The Great Bandit Trial

Characters: Zandan, Raviol
Description: Zandan gets a lead on the robbers that robbed the trader caravan.
Location: Emerald Falls Hold
Date: month 6, day 12 of Turn 9

The smith looked up as his hammer paused over the read hot metal onhis
anvil. "I'll be with you in just a moment, Captain," he said
before turning his attention back to his task. He beat the metal
repeatedly, expertly turning it as he flattened the base of a rounded
hinge, curved around a long pin to help it maintain it's shape.
Finally he set it over a hole in the anvil and after a few practiced
strokes and turns, hit the pin through the hole. Raviol inspected the
work and was satisfied that stage was done and threw the piece, still
glowing, onto the growing pile of hinges on the floor.

"Right then," he said, setting his hammer on the anvil and reaching
for a damp towel to wipe his face. "What can I do for you? How are
those bars I made for you holding up?"

"The bars are holding fine, thank you," Zandan replied jovially. "I'm
asking from all the smits in the Hold if they've seen a certain piece
of jewelry or if someone has offered it for sale," he explained his
presence.

"What smiths haven't seen jewelry for sale? Any granny falling on
hard times has a broach or a ring to sell," the smith said with a
nonchalant shrug of his shoulder.

"This is different, new, master stamped and custom made for a wedding.
I even got the draft from the jewelsmith who made it," Zandan said and
pulled rather rumpled piece of hide from his belt pouch. Getting that
drawing from the Smithcraft Hall had taken sevendays. "Silver,
emeralds and other stuff in Hold's colours."

Raviol was pretty sure he was describing the necklace he had held in
his hand not the day before. But he didn't show much outward sign of
interest. "What happened? Someone dropped it around the Hold area?
Surely you aren't accusing any of our smiths of stealing it."

"No, someone stole it from trader caravan who was bringing it here,"
Zandan offered him the drawing. "The thieves just might be stupid
enough to sell it here, instead in some other Hold."
Zandan had his own suspicions about Raviol, which is why he was doing
this himself. His men was questioning the other smiths and trades.
"That necklace was meant for Holder Hircine's youngest daughter's
wedding. I don't think I need to tell you how he took the news,"
Zandan kept his tone friendly and gossippy. Hircine was know for
having a quick temper. He was someone who's bad side you didn't want
to see. Especially since it was him who ran the mines where convicted
prisoners were sent to work. "I wouldn't want to be those thieves when
they find themselves convicted to his mines. Or anybody else involved
with the theft either," he added with kind of malicious glee.

Raviol's eyebrows twitched slightly at the mention of the name.
Hircine was certainly not a man he wished to cross. This necklace
sounded like more trouble than it was worth. He took the drawing more
to give himself time to think than to actually study it. There was no
time to contact Tadek and warn him away, and he had little doubt that
if this necklace came to him, he would have very little chance to pass
it off to someone else without getting caught. It was just too hot to
be mixed up with. **Poor bastard,** Raviol thought, though he knew
he for sure was not willing to share his fate. "A man came through
Emerald Falls the other day with a necklace similar to this one."

"Now, really?" Zandan said with a slow drawl and pretadory smile. "If
someone helped us to capture the thieves, I'm sure Holder Hircine
wouldn't mind paying a reward for getting that necklace back." You
caught more vtols with luring them in with sweet fruit than swatting
randomly around.

The smith certainly wouldn't pass up marks for keeping himself out of
trouble! Of course two could play coy. "Well, if it is this
necklace, I'm just glad it will go back to it's rightful owner. I may
sell used jewelry, sir, but I certainly would not want to be mixed up
with no thieves."

"Of course you wouldn't want to be mixed up as a thief," Zandan said.

Raviol's eyes narrowed slightly, very aware that the captain was
implying something. "There's nothing illegal about selling a bit of
jewelry on the side. I have mouths to feed, too."

"It would be, if the said jewelry was stolen. But you wouldn't do
that, would you, Raviol? You're honest crafter who's happy to help the
authorities," Zandan smiled at him, hidden mockery buried under
lighthearted tone of voice. There was an edge in his smile that made
most people's hindbrains scream: danger!

"Well, as you can see, I wouldn't do it, captain. I'm cooperating,
aren't I." Raviol respected the power Zandan held over him, but was
not easily intimidated. In this case, he was, technically, blameless.

Zandan nodded, "I appreaciate your co-operation." The smith was right,
he had nothing against him and he was helping. It was time to back
off and be nice to him.

As much as the smith knew he was safe from Zandan's grasp now, that
didn't mean he wouldn't make a note to be more careful in the coming
months. Perhaps he had been reaching too high with this necklace. Of
course someone would have missed it. "I told the man I was
interested, but that I didn't have the marks at the time, so I asked
him to come back tomorrow."

"Excellent, we can make a trap for him," Zandan looked around. "Now,
is there any place me and my men can hide?"

"There's another room over here," Raviol said leading with a lift of
his chin. "You can hide there. It also leads outside."

"Sounds ideal," Zandan said and went the check the indicated room. It
was more like a closet really, but it would do just fine.

Last updated on the October 1st 2018

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Break through (How to catch a thief 2/3)